NHTSA Complaint #10132307 — 1994 FORD F-150

I OWN A 1994 FORD F-150 SUPERCAB. ORIGINAL PURCHASE DATE WAS 6/25/94. I BOUGHT IT USED ON 11/17/00. VIN # [XXX] ON SUNDAY JULY 31, 2005 I HAD DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM MY MOTHER'S HOUSE BACK HOME AT ABOUT 5:00 PM . I PARKED THE TRUCK IN THE DRIVEWAY AND MADE TWO TRIPS FROM THE TRUCK TO THE HOUSE TO UNLOAD VARIOUS ITEMS. AFTER ABOUT 60 - 75 MINUTES INSIDE THE HOUSE, I WENT TO THE GARAGE AND STARTED TO TAKE THE LAWN MOWER OUTSIDE. ABOUT FIVE MINUTES PASSED WHEN I STARTED SMELLING AN "ELECTRICAL BURN" ODOR. I WORK IN CONSTRUCTION AND I KNOW THE SMELL. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED CHECKING ALL THE ELECTRICAL OUTLETS FOR A FIRE. EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT IN THE GARAGE SO I WENT UPSTAIRS AND EVERYTHING WAS OK . I WENT BACK DOWN THROUGH THE GARAGE AND OUT TO THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY TO SEE IF I SAW ANYTHING IN THE CUL-DE-SAC. EVERYTHING WAS OK, SO I WENT BACK TO DOUBLE CHECK THE GARAGE. AS I GOT TO THE OPEN GARAGE DOOR THE SMELL WAS WORSE. ALL OF A SUDDEN I SAW SMOKE COMING OFF THE HOOD OF MY TRUCK. AS I GOT CLOSER I SAW FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE GRILL. I GRABBED THE WATER HOSE AND PUT OUT THE FIRE THROUGH THE GRILL ON THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK. AFTER IT COOLED DOWN, I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THE BURNT WIRES AND BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR. I GOT MY BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO IS A SEMI-MECHANIC TO LOOK AT IT. HE THEN INFORMED ME ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCHES ON VARIOUS FORD F-150 TRUCKS. I'VE TAKEN SOME DIGITAL PICTURES AND AS OF TODAY NOT REPAIRED ANYTHING. *JB UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)